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The New AI Blog at TalTech: Our Stories, Lessons, and Directions
AI at TalTech
Artificial intelligence has entered our daily lives, and as a university, our task is to help our community use it wisely and responsibly. At TalTech, we see artificial intelligence not as a threat but as an opportunity to learn, teach, and conduct research on a new level.
Our goal is that every student, lecturer, and researcher knows how to use AI in a way that empowers their work, supports creativity, and provides new knowledge. Equally important is that leaders can make more data-driven decisions with the help of artificial intelligence, and support staff can reduce routine tasks and focus more on value-creating work.
I believe that TalTech will become a university where technology serves people and society, not the other way around. Artificial intelligence does not take away our responsibility to think and create; instead, it gives us new tools to shape the future.
Ingrid Pappel, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and Head of TalTech’s AI Council
TalTech’s Strategic Direction for Artificial Intelligence
As a technical university, TalTech has a unique role. We not only develop and research artificial intelligence, but also prepare future engineers, IT specialists, managers, entrepreneurs, and public sector experts whose professional lives are increasingly intertwined with the opportunities and risks of AI. TalTech’s AI strategy provides a shared direction for supporting the informed and responsible use of AI across the university and for strengthening TalTech’s role in the Estonian and European AI ecosystem.
The strategy focuses on four main areas:
Awareness and Skills
TalTech develops AI awareness and skills across the university so that students and staff can use AI thoughtfully and purposefully. This includes understanding the basic concepts and limitations of AI as well as developing practical skills that support learning, teaching, research, and everyday work.
TalTech aims for AI literacy to become a part of modern academic and professional competence. To achieve this, foundational training is developed, best practices are shared, and a university-wide culture of AI use is gradually shaped. The goal is not only to teach how to use tools, but to help understand when AI adds value, when it does not, and what risks need to be considered.
Application of AI in Core University Activities
TalTech applies AI in ways that support the quality of learning and teaching, research capacity, management efficiency, and the functioning of support services. AI helps create a better learning experience, supports the work of researchers and academic staff, simplifies work processes, and reduces routine administrative burden. TalTech’s development plan also foresees the use of AI to improve the quality of support activities and streamline workflows.
The focus of AI use is on practical value. TalTech supports the experimentation and development of use cases that solve real problems and create benefits for learners, staff, and the university as a whole. The aim is to encourage piloting of working solutions, sharing of experiences, and broader adoption of suitable practices.
Ethical and Responsible Use of AI
TalTech follows the principle that the use of AI must be aligned with academic values, ethical standards, data protection requirements, and the applicable legal framework. This requires transparency, risk awareness, appropriate human oversight, and an understanding of the possibilities and limitations of AI use.
Responsible use does not only mean following guidelines, but also the ability to make well-considered decisions in situations where ready-made answers do not exist. Therefore, TalTech develops guidelines and best practices and supports the university community in assessing when the use of AI is justified, how to mitigate associated risks, and how to maintain academic integrity, reliability, and accountability.
Development of AI and Contribution to Society
TalTech develops AI as an important field of research and development in line with the future needs of Estonia and Europe. AI is identified as one of the key research focus areas in TalTech’s development plan, and the university contributes to the advancement of reliable IT solutions, industry, the public sector, health, energy, sustainability, and other fields.
Collaboration with partners is of central importance in this focus area. TalTech works with companies, the public sector, other universities, and international networks to bring knowledge into practice, strengthen innovation capacity, and shape a responsible AI usage culture in society. In this way, TalTech aims to be not only a user of technologies, but also a trusted developer, thought leader, and partner.
AI Council
The implementation of the strategy is guided by the AI Council, which includes representatives from faculties and key units. The Council’s role is to maintain a shared strategic focus, connect different initiatives, support the selection of priorities, and monitor progress. Within this framework, faculties, institutes, and units shape their practical uses of AI according to their specific work, needs, and level of readiness. TalTech supports the sharing of experience, best practices, piloting, and collaboration formats in areas where faster development or university-wide solutions are needed. This model enables the combination of a university-wide direction with decentralized action.
Cooperation
Collaboration with the public sector
Collaboration with the university helps shape evidence-based policies that support social cohesion and sustainable development. In addition, TalTech provides a...
Collaboration with the private sector
TalTech can collaborate with the private sector by jointly developing new technological solutions in the fields of industry, energy, and...
Media coverage
The conference “Artificial Intelligence 2026: Let’s Agree on the Boundaries of AI Use!” brought together experts from education, research, business,...
